Such an apparatus is known, for example, from EP 2 679 352 A1 which is incorporated in full as a subject matter of the present disclosure.
Such apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container have previously been individually planned, manufactured and assembled for the specific application in each case. The respective very specific circumstances can hereby be taken into account. However, this is associated with high costs and a great time effort.
It is therefore the object of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container, the apparatus being able to be designed, manufactured and/or assembled in a simpler and less expensive manner.
This object is achieved in accordance with the present disclosure by an apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container having an object recognition device for detecting the workpieces and having a gripper for gripping and removing the workpieces from the container. The apparatus in this respect furthermore has a control for evaluating the data of the object recognition device, for path planning and for controlling the gripper. Provision is made in accordance with the present disclosure that the apparatus is structured in a modular manner from a handling module and a feed module. The handling module in this respect comprises the gripper kinematics, whereas the feed module has an arrangement for providing a container having workpieces. Both the design and the manufacture and assembly of apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container are substantially simplified by the modular construction in accordance with the present disclosure. The individual modules can in this respect in particular be planned, designed and preassembled separately. Furthermore, the same handling module can, for example, be equipped with respective different feed modules depending on which specific function is desired. Apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container can be so-to-say mass produced due to the modular construction. The gripper kinematics the handling module is equipped with is in this respect optionally a robot or an area gantry with which the gripper is moved. It can in particular be a six-axis robot in this respect.
The working space of the gripper of the handling module in this respect optionally extends beyond the base area of the handling module so that workpieces in the region of the feed module can be gripped.
The apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure can furthermore have an output module which has at least one workpiece placement area on which the workpieces are placed down in a separated manner and/or in a defined position. The apparatus is in this respect in particular structured such that workpiece can be removed from a container which is provided via the feed module by the gripper of the handling module and can be placed down on the workpiece placement area of the output module. The placing down can in this respect take place either directly or via buffer stations and/or further grippers. The output module in this respect optionally has a transport path for the workpieces using which the separated workpieces and/or the workpieces placed down in a defined position can be transported away and can be fed to further worksteps.
The apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure can furthermore have a machining and/or assembly module, with the machining and/or assembly module having an end placement area at which workpieces are placed down by a gripper of a handling module and can have a machining and/or assembly unit which machines and/or assembles the workpieces.
In this respect, the machined and/or assembled workpieces can optionally again be gripped by a gripper of a handling module and can be placed onto a workpiece placement area of an output module. The machining and/or assembly module can optionally, however, itself have a transport path for the transporting away of the machined and/or assembled workpieces and can thus represent a combined output module and machining and/or assembly module.
The machining and/or assembly module is in this respect optionally connectable to a handling module such as was presented in more detail above.
One or more of the above-described modules in accordance with the present disclosure optionally has a cell frame. The module can in this respect in particular have a base plate and/or cell walls. The cell walls may protect the working zone of the respective module from unauthorized access.
The handling module can in this respect in particular have a base plate on which the gripper and the gripper kinematics, in particular a robot or an area gantry, are arranged. Further advantageously, the handling module has at least two cell walls. Further advantageously, the handling module has at least one open side, optionally two open sides. The handling module can in this respect optionally be connected to a feed module at at least one open side. The handling module can further optionally be connected via a further open side to a machining and/or assembly module and/or to an output module.
The feed module optionally has a base plate and/or three cell walls, while one side remains open to be connected to the handling module.
The modules in accordance with the present disclosure optionally have mechanical connection points for connection to one another. The mechanical connection points can in this respect in particular be arranged at the cell frames. A mechanical connection of the cell frames of the handling module and of a feed module in accordance with the present disclosure in particular hereby becomes possible.
Furthermore, the individual modules can have electrical interfaces, pneumatic interfaces and/or hydraulic interfaces for connection to one another. In this respect, an electrical interface, pneumatic interface and/or hydraulic interface is/are in particular provided between a handling module and a feed module.
The individual modules can furthermore have an interface for connection to a production control system via which interface the operation of the modules can be coordinated with the operation of a further production system.
Interfaces can furthermore be provided between the individual modules and allow the coordination of the operation of the individual modules. A data exchange can in this respect in particular take place between the controls of the individual modules via the interfaces. Alternatively or additionally, the interfaces can allow the control of actuators of one module via a control of another module and/or can callow the evaluation of data of a sensor of one module via the control of another module.
The handling module can in this respect in particular have an electrical supply, a pneumatic supply and/or a hydraulic supply. The handling module furthermore optionally has an electrical interface, a pneumatic interface and/or a hydraulic interface by which further modules, and in particular a feed module, can be connected to the electrical supply, the pneumatic supply and/or the hydraulic supply of the handling module.
The control for evaluating the data of the object recognition device, for the path planning and for controlling the gripper is furthermore optionally arranged at the handling module. The control in this respect optionally has an interface via which an object recognition device can be connected which is arranged in the region of the feed module. The control can in this respect may obtain and evaluate sensor data which are generated via a sensor of the object recognition device via the interface. Provision can furthermore be made that the control arranged in the region of the handling module controls actuators of the feed module.
The handling module can in this respect have an operating module which is optionally accessible from an outer side of a cell wall of the handling module. In this respect, the control can optionally be accessed via the operating module. An input/output interface can in this respect in particular be provided, in particular a display or monitor and/or input devices such as a keyboard. The handling module can furthermore have a switch cabinet which is likewise optionally accessible from an outer side of a cell wall. The energy supply is optionally arranged in the switch cabinet.
The modular construction of the apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure in particular allows the same handling module to be connected to different feed modules and/or output modules to adapt the apparatus to the respective specifically desired function.
The handling module may in this respect be completely preassembled mechanically and/or electrically and/or pneumatically and/or hydraulically. In this respect, the gripper kinematics is in particular completely wired to the control and/or to the energy supply. The assembly work is hereby substantially reduced; the handling module optionally only has to be put down and connected to the mains supply in this respect.
The feed module is furthermore optionally completely preassembled mechanically and/or electrically and/or pneumatically and/or hydraulically so that it only still has to be connected to the handling module at the installation site.
The handling module and/or the feed module is/are in this respect advantageously transportable in a hanging manner or by a fork lift as complete units.
Possible embodiments of an apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure which are provided by different feed modules and/or output modules will be presented.
In a possible embodiment of the present disclosure, the arrangement for providing a container having workpieces of the feed module can be accessible from the outside. This accessibility in particular allows the introduction of full containers into the feed module and/or the removal of empty containers from the feed module.
The accessibility in this respect in particular allows the feed and removal of containers via a transport vehicle such as a fork lift. The arrangement for providing a container can in this respect in particular be accessible via a door which is arranged in a cell wall of a cell frame of the feed module.
Provision can furthermore be made that the arrangement for providing a container having workpieces can take up at least two containers. This makes it possible to continue work immediately with the second container after the emptying of a first container. Both containers are advantageously in the working space of the gripper of the handling module for this purpose.
In accordance with the present disclosure, the feed module can have a separating device via which a feed zone for one or more containers can be separated from a working zone, in particular from the working zone of the gripper. This makes it possible to remove an empty container or to feed a full container while a second container is being emptied. A hood can in particular be provided as the separating apparatus which is arranged in the feed module such that the feed zone can selectively be covered by it for one or the other container. The hood hereby separates the working zone of the gripper from the respective feed zone while it releases the other container for the gripper. The hood is in this respect optionally arranged movable at the feed module, in particular displaceable and/or pivotable. The hood can in particular be a displaceable hood, a pivotable flap or a roller blind.
In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the feed module can cooperate with a driverless transport system.
In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the arrangement for providing a container having workpieces of the feed module can be supplied with containers via an automatic container feed and/or removal path. Provision can in particular be made in this respect that the arrangement for providing a container having workpieces can take up at least two containers. Provision can, however, be made in this respect that the removal of workpieces is only possible from a single container or only in a single container position.
The feed module may have a transport arrangement for transporting the containers in the interior of the feed module. The transport arrangement can in this respect optionally cooperate with the automatic container feed and/or removal path.
It is furthermore conceivable that the transport arrangement within the feed module and the container feed and/or removal path are combined in one transport path.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a light barrier can be provided which secures the feed zone. It is optionally arranged in the transition zone between the feed station and the automatic container feed and/or removal path.
In a first variant, the arrangement for providing a container having workpieces of the feed module can in this respect have a transverse shuttle which cooperates with a container feed path and with a container removal path each having opposite transport directions. The container feed path can in this respect in particular feed full containers into the zone of the transverse shuttle. The containers are emptied in the zone of the transverse shuttle. The empty containers are then again transferred to the container removal path. The removal of the workpieces from the containers in this respect takes place in the zone of the transverse shuttle, with the transverse movement of the containers being able to take place before, during and/or after the removal of the workpieces. The light barrier in this respect may separate the feed zone or removal zone of the transverse shuttle from the container feed path and/or from the container removal path.
In an alternative embodiment, the arrangement for providing a container having workpieces of the feed module can have a rotary table on which the containers can be arranged, with the containers being travelable from a feed zone of the feed module into a working zone of the gripper of the handling module, or vice versa, by rotating the rotary table. The rotary table can in this respect be loaded with containers, for example, either via a transport vehicle such as a fork-lift, or containers can be removed in this manner. Alternatively, the rotary table can also cooperate with an automatic container feed path and/or removal path. The rotary table in this respect may have separating walls which separate the feed zone from the working zone.
In a further alternative embodiment, a transport path for containers can lead through the feed module. It can in particular be a transport belt on which the containers are traveled in a filled state into the zone of the feed module and on which they are also again removed from the feed module after the emptying in the zone of the feed module.
In a possible embodiment of the present disclosure, the feed module can also take over the transporting away of the workpieces in addition to the providing of the containers. In this case, the feed module forms a combination of a feed module and an output module. In this respect, only one transport path may be provided on which both the containers are transported in and away and the separated and/or positioned workpieces are transported away. In this respect, the containers having unordered workpieces and also palletizing baskets for receiving the separated and/or positioned workpieces can in particular be transported on the transport path. The palletizing baskets can in this respect in particular have nests for receiving the workpieces.
In further possible embodiments of the present disclosure, the apparatus can have a buffer station on which the gripper places the workpieces after the removal from the container, with the workpieces being able to be picked up from the buffer station by a gripper and placed down in an end placement area. The gripper which picks the workpieces from the buffer station can in this respect be the same gripper which also carries out the removal from the container or it can be a different gripper.
In a possible embodiment, the buffer station can in this respect be integrated into the handling module. Alternatively, the buffer station can be arranged in a buffer module. Such a buffer module can in this respect in particular be a cell frame at which the buffer station is arranged. The cell frame in this respect in particular has a base plate and at least one cell wall, optionally at least two cell walls.
The apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure can have two handling modules which can interact to remove workpieces from a container and to place them down on an end placement area. In this respect, a buffer station may be provided on which the gripper of the first handling module places down the workpieces after the removal from the container, with the workpieces being picked up from the buffer station by a gripper of the second handling module and being placed down in a workpiece placement area. The buffer station is in this respect may be arranged in a buffer module which is arranged between the two handling modules.
In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the output module can comprise a palletizing cell and/or can interact with a palletizing cell. The workpieces can in this respect in particular be placed down by a handling module in accordance with the present disclosure in palletizing baskets of such a palletizing cell. The output module in this respect advantageously has a transport path and/or a transfer module via which the palletizing baskets can be transported to a palletizing cell.
In a further embodiment, the output module can furthermore interact with a pallet handling system, with the output module corresponding in a particular embodiment to the equipping and/or feed module of the pallet handling system.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a plurality of handling modules can be connected in parallel with other modules. In this respect, a plurality of handling modules can in particular interact with an output module, and in particular with a transport path for the transporting away of the separated workpieces. The handling modules in such an arrangement may have respective separate feed modules. It is, however, alternatively also conceivable to combine a plurality of handling modules with a single feed module, in particular with a transport belt for containers having workpieces, so that the handling modules can remove workpieces in parallel from respective different containers which are, however, arranged on the same transport path.
The present disclosure furthermore also comprises the individual modules such as have been described above in addition to the total apparatus.
The present disclosure in this respect in particular comprises a handling module for an apparatus such has been described above, having a gripper and gripper kinematics for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container. The gripper kinematics can in this respect in particular be a robot, in particular a six-axis robot, and/or an area gantry. The handling module in this respect comprises a control for evaluating the data of an object recognition device, for the path planning and for the control of the gripper. The control can in particular have an interface for connection to an object recognition device for this purpose.
The handling module can furthermore have an interface via which the operation of the handling module can be coordinated with the operation of at least one further module. The interface can in this respect allow a data exchange of a control of the further module in a first embodiment. Provision can alternatively or additionally be made that a control of actuators of a further module is possible via the interface and/or the utilization of sensor data from sensors which are arranged in a further module.
The handling module can furthermore have an interface to a production control system, via which interface the operation of the handling module can be coordinated with the operation of a production system.
The handling module in accordance with the present disclosure is in this respect optionally configured and structured as has already been presented in more detail above.
The present disclosure furthermore comprises a feed module for an apparatus such as has been presented above. The feed module in this respect in particular comprises an arrangement for providing a container having workpieces. The feed module furthermore has an object recognition device for detecting the workpieces in the container.
An interface to a handling module can furthermore be provided via which the data of the object detection device can be transferred to a control of the gripper. Alternatively or additionally, the interface can be used to coordinate the work of the arrangement for providing a container having workpieces with the movement of the gripper.
The feed module is in this respect configured as has been presented in more detail above with respect to the embodiments of the apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.
The present disclosure furthermore comprises an output module, machining module and/or assembly module for an apparatus such as has been presented above. The output module, machining module and/or assembly module in this respect in particular have an end placement area on placed down in a defined position. If it is an output module, it may have a transport path for the workpieces. If it is a machining and/or assembly module, it may have a machining and/or assembly unit which machines and/or assembles the workpieces. The output module, machining module and/or assembly module may have an interface to a handling module via which the output module, machining module and/or assembly module can be coordinated with the operation of the handling module.
The output module, machining module and/or assembly module are structured in this respect as has been presented above with respect to the apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.
The modules in this respect optionally each have cell frames having mechanical connection points via which they can be connected to one another.
The object detection, the path planning and the control of the gripper of the handling module take place in this respect as is known, for example, from EP 2 679 352 A1. The buffer station provided there does not, however, have to be necessarily implemented. The sensor arrangement can in this respect in particular be a 3D laser scanner. The object detection device in this respect in particular allows the detection of the individual workpieces in the container. A workpiece which is to be gripped can furthermore be identified in this respect as well as a corresponding path planning for controlling the gripper and/or the gripper kinematics.
The sensor arrangement of the object detection device is further optionally travelable in this respect, including optionally linearly travelable. The travel direction can optionally take place in parallel with a transport direction of a transport arrangement for transporting the containers within the feed arrangement.
The apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container have been described above with respect to their modular structure.
The present disclosure protects the above-named apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container and in particular, however, also protects the different feed and/or output options to be used for this purpose independently of the modular construction in accordance with the present disclosure.
The present disclosure in this respect in particular relates to an apparatus for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container, having an object recognition device for detecting the workpieces and a gripper for gripping and removing the workpiece from the container and having a control for evaluating the data of the object recognition device, for path planning and for controlling the gripper. The apparatus in this respect comprises a feed device and a handling device. The handling device in this respect comprises gripper kinematics, in particular a robot and/or an area gantry. The feed device comprises an arrangement for providing a container having workpieces.
The feed device and a handling device are structured in this respect as has been presented above with respect to the feed module and/or to the handling module.
The apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure can furthermore have an output device which is structured as has been presented above with respect to the output module.
The feed device, handling device and output device, however, do not have to have a modular structure, but can rather be composed of individual components and/or can form an apparatus in another manner for the automated removal of workpieces arranged in a container.
The feed device of such an apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure can in this respect in particular have an arrangement for providing a container having workpieces. It is optionally accessible from outside from at least one side, in particular via at least one door. The arrangement for providing a container having workpieces can in this respect optionally receive at least two containers. Provision can furthermore be made that the feed device has a separating device via which a feed zone for one or more containers can be separated from a working zone of the gripper. A hood can in this respect in particular be provided which is arranged in the feed device such that it can selectively cover the feed zone for the one or the other container.
The feed device can alternatively be in communication with an automatic container feed and/or removal path, in particular as has been presented above with respect to the feed module in accordance with the present disclosure.
The feed device can in particular have a transverse shuttle, a rotary table or a transport path, in particular as has been presented above with respect to the feed module.
The feed device can furthermore also take over the transporting away of the workpieces in addition to the provision of the container, in particular as has likewise been presented above with respect to the feed module.
The apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure can furthermore have a processing and/or assembly device which is configured as has been presented above with respect to the machining and/or assembly module in accordance with the present disclosure.
The apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure can furthermore comprise a buffer station and/or a palletizing cell and/or can cooperate with a palletizing cell.
The control of the apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure optionally controls the individual components of the apparatus in an automated manner. To the extent that it has been described above that a component of the apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure can be operated in a specific manner, the control optionally has control routines for a corresponding automated control.
The present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to embodiments and to drawings.